Burial-casket drapery



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ALFRED FRESCHL, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

BURlAL -CASKET DRAPERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 313,820, dated March 10, 1885.

Application filed March 10, 1884.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED Fnnscnn, of Detroit, county of \Vayne, State of Michigan, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Draperies for Caskets and other Articles; and Ideclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention consists of the device and its appliance to burial caskets and other articles of manufacture, hereinafter more fully de scribed and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of aburial-casket embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a variation. Figs. 3 and 4 are ad ditional views illustrating different means whereby the drapery may be secured to the casket. Fig 5 is another variation. Fig. 6 is a separate view of the elastic band. Fig. 7 is a separate view showing two sections of drapery connected by the elastic band. Fig. Sis a separate view of one of the joint-covers. Fig. 9 shows additional means for acccomplishing my object. Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate still other means adapted to the same end.

My invention relates to an extension-drapery capable of attach ment to burial-caskets of different sizes and adapted also for other uses.

The purpose of my invention is to provide an extensible drapery,w11ich may be in itself adistinct and complete article of manufacture, and adapted to fit different sizes and styles of caskets and other backgrounds.

want my invention relates more especially to an extensible drapery applicable for caskets, and is so illustrated in the drawings, I would have it understood that I contemplate its use as hereinafter described wherever it may be found adapted.

Heretofore draperies have been secured directly upon burial-caskets in their manufacture, the drapery being a fixed part of the manufactured article, but not extensible, so as to be applied to different caskets. This operation requires skill as well as time, forwhich reasons an undertaker cannot ordinarily put them on.

Draped caskets are among the most expen- (No model.)

sive, and undertakers are either obliged to keep a costly stock on hand, adapted for particular sizes only, or to send to the manufactory every time such a casket is desired. To obviate this difliculty non-extensible draperies have been manufactured and sold to undertakers, designed to be nailed onto the casket, and this operation also requires skill in properly adjusting and arranging the draperies thereon. Moreover, the drapery is made to fit only a given sized casket, so that an undertaker must have a complete assortment of different lengths to have a proper outfit. Another difficulty has been experienced from the fact that different manufacturers have no uniform standards of lengths, and their cats kets are made of different materials and different shapes and designs. It is one object of my invention to remedy these difficulties by constructing a lambrequin or drapery of suitable material, and provide the same with folds or plaits or other means of extension, as may be desired, and securing the same to an 6X tension pole or band, the construction being i such that the folds or plaits or bands may be readily drawn out, if desired, and the drapery extended so that the same article may fit caskets of different sizes.

. In the drawings A represents any ordinary bu rial-casket.

B represents an extensible drapery. drapery may be manufactured in many different ways, in any desired style. It may be made, as illustrated particularly in Fig. 7, in separate sections 13, said sections being connected by an elastic band,(l. This band may be a continuous band, as shown in Fig. 6, or the sections of the drapery may be connected by separate elastic bands. It may be desirable to employ the continuous band to secure a firmer adjustment of the drapery to the casket, but I do not limit myself thereto. WVhen the drapery is thus made in sections, I provide a suitablejoint-cover, D, of such construction as to hide the band beneath and make a neat finish, adding at the same time to the ornamental design of the draperies as a whole. This cover may be attached in any suitable manner and may be manufactured in any desired way. It will be convenient to make it, as shown in Fig. 8, by simply covering suit-able pasteboard with the fabric,

This.

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the whole being so shaped that it may be any length desired.

readily hung from the band and thus secured in place; or as shown, moreover, in Figs.- 2 and 3, the drapery may be integral, as at B being provided with suitable plaits, b, one or more of which may be loosened for lengthening the drapery,as may be desired. I would have it expressly understood that I do not limit myself to any special mode of making the drapery extensible, as any construction may be employed for this purpose.

In Figs. 10 and 11 an extensible pole, G, is shown, .to which the extensible drapery may be attached in any suitable manner, and the whole be adjusted and applied to caskets of different sizes. This pole 0 may be made extensible, as shown in Fig. 11 or in Fig. 11- Z.6., the end of one section of the pole 0 may be sleeved into the opposite end of the pole, or the two ends a and c of the sections of the pole may each be sleeved into a suitable tubing,c'-'. This tubing may be made of paper or any other suitable material. The drapery being attached to the different sections of the pole will hold the two sections suitably in place, as the arrangement of the drapery and the adjustment of the poles will be made to correspond. This pole may be provided with hooks 0 by which it may be applied to the shell of the casket with the drapery thereon. Instead, however, of attaching said plaited drapery to the casket by means of the extensible pole, it is evident that it may be attached directly to the casket without the pole in various waysr.s, for instance,by means of hooks E in Fig. 2, whereby the drapery is adapted to be hooked over the edge of the casket, or it may be secured directly to the casket by means of tacks, as shown at F, Fig. 8, or the casket may be provided with suitable buttons-G, Fig. 4, and the drapery with button-holes or rings, by which it may be thus secured upon the casket. Instead,also,of the elastic band C, an inelastic cord, H, may be used, which may be tightened as may be desired to secure the proper adjustment of the drapery, or a band with a buckle, H, Fig. 9, may be employed for this purpose; or still other means may be used for attaching the drapery, whether integral or made in separate sections to the casket. The rod may, however, be constructed with as many sections as may be desired. Said sections may be made adjustable for shorter orlonger lengths in any suitable manner. Said drapery may be constructed in any suitable design or pattern, and provided with any desired number of folds or plaits I). These folds or plaits may be located at any proper point, preferably at or near the intersection of the sections of the pole, the construction of the plaits being such that they may be readily disengaged, so that the drapery may be made'to correspond with the increased length desired. These plaits, if used, may be so constructed that one or more may be disengaged, so as to correspond with The joint-covers D maybe plaited or not, as may be preferred. If the poles are used, Iprefer to employ suitable ornamental tips, a, which may be removable, so that any desired tip may be employed thereon. In case the pole is used it is designed to employ one upon each side and at each end, four completing a set for a single casket. These extensible draperies may be constructed of different sizes and-of certain standard sizes, so that a different set of different sizes will makea complete outfit for an undertaker. Extensible draperies as thus formed are portable, and may form separate articles of manufacture, and sell with advantage to. undertakers, as by'its means a small stock of draperies will serve for a considerable variety of styles and lengths of caskets, for the undertaker may thus simply keep on hand suitable caskets undraped, and should adraped casket be desired the adjustable drapery may be readily secured thereon at any time, thus obviating the necessity of his keeping a costly stock of draped caskets on hand, while also these extensible draperies, as described, may be readily secured to the casket, the operation requiring no degree of skill and no great amount of time for its attachment. Moreover, by the employment of such draperies as I have described the expense of a draped casket is materially reduced. Not only may the drapery be so constructed and arranged that they may be extended, but the same principle will permit their being contracted to shorter limits should it be desired, and I would have it understood that I eontemplate the construction and arrangement of the drapery upon the poles in such a manner that additional folds or plaits may be made in the drapery, should it be desired to shorten it. By curving or bending the end pole, if one is used, it may be made to fit a round, elliptic, or other shaped casket.

The drapery constructed in sections secured together by one or more bands may be secured upon a casket by different means, such as have been already described, by tacks, hooks, 8:0. It is obvious, also, that an elastic or an inelastic band may be used either with an integral drapery or with the drapery made in sections.

I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to any particular means of securing the drapery upon the pole or band.

What I claim is-- 1. A casket-drapery provided with one or more upright plaits adapted to be released and opened out to lengthen the drapery, and fastenings for securing said plaits together in an upright position, substantially as described.

2. A drapery made extensible by one or more upright plaits adapted to be released and opened out, and adapted to be secured upon a background of various lengths, said drapery made in sections, and in combination therevided with one or more upright plaits adapted to be released and opened out to effect extensibility ofthe drapery, in combination with 15 fastenings for securing said plaits together, and an extensible support to which said drapery is connected, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED FRESGHL. Witnesses:

N. S. WRIGHT, M. B. ODOGHERTY. 

